The Destiny Of The Doctors: Part 2
by EssexLad1975
Summary: Continuation from Part 1. This part contains chapters 4 through 7.
1. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR - ETERNITY'S PLAYGROUND  
The First Doctor and his companions, Ben and Polly had just defeated the Cybermen in their insidious plan to drain the Earth of all it's energy, but in the process their own world of Mondas had been destroyed. The stress of the conflict had taken it's toll on the Doctor.   
  
"I'm affraid this old body of mine is wearing a bit thin!" he had whispered to Ben.   
  
The whole adventure had taken place at the Snowcap Space Tracking Station, hidden beneath the ice at the south pole. Wrapped up against the bitterly cold temperature and cruel winds, Ben and Polly had helped the visibly weaker Doctor back to the TARDIS, where he hurried to the main console.   
  
Placing his palms flat against the telepathic circuit panel, the time rotor started rising and falling automatically, and a strange rythmic sound seemed to fill the console room.   
  
The Doctor stiffened and light pulsed over him, ebb and flow. Ben hugged a terrified Polly as, with a loud cry, the Doctor fell backwards on to the floor.   
  
As they watched, the Doctor's face began to change. Ben was about to say something, when time froze. The regenerating Doctor disappeared.   
  
The Doctor came to with a start. He was lying on his back, looking up into a clear blue sky. Easing himself up, he realised that he was in his own beloved, landscaped gardens. The smell of his roses drifted on a warm, gentle breeze.   
  
"Dear me, I must have fainted!" he tutted to himself.   
  
The Doctor wasn't usually given to irrational thoughts, but he felt distinctly uneasy about something. He looked around at his surroundings, the ornamental fountain, the oriental garden, the neat flower beds, they all seemed in order, but why did it feel so wrong?   
  
The Doctor's keen eyes spotted something on one of the lawns. It was a giant chessboard of the kind that could be found in gardens belonging to stately houses.   
  
The Doctor made his way over to the black and white squares. The opposing pieces were all arranged neatly in their rows. The Doctor examined the metre high pieces. His features had been carved onto the face of the white king. The black king had the familiar features of a saturnine, bearded face.   
  
"It's that renegade fellow!" the Doctor uttered. "Now, what was his name?"   
  
"I am usually reffered to as the Master!"   
  
The Doctor looked around him, but could see nobody in sight. Where had the silky voice come from?   
  
"Who said that?" he asked imperiously. "I demand that you show yourself!"   
  
"Why, Doctor!" the voice purred. "I am all around you!"   
  
"Don't be ridiculous!" the Doctor snapped.   
  
"Now, now, Doctor!" the voice mocked. "Temper, temper!"   
  
The Doctor looked stern and gripped the lapels of his frock-coat.   
  
"Young man, I don't have time for such silliness!"   
  
The Master emerged from behind the black king. The Doctor recognised the black velvet suit and brocaded collar. "Welcome to the Determinant, Doctor!" the Master cooed. "My own little domain!"   
  
The Doctor scoffed at the Master. "You didn't do a very good job, did you?"   
  
The Master looked offended. "I knew from the start dear boy, that this place was not what it seemed, I have an instinct for such things, hmm!"   
  
The Master shot him a murderous glare. "Have a care Doctor!"   
  
"Yes, yes, yes!" the Doctor said with a dissmissive wave of a hand. "Now, why have you brought me to this infernal place?"   
  
The Master smiled. "You are here to pit your wits against mine, and all the traps I have set for you!"   
  
The Doctor sniffed. "Well so far my boy, I am not in the least impressed!"   
  
"Your flippancy annoys me, Doctor!" the Master snapped. "You will soon look eternity in the face and be humbled!"   
  
The Doctor looked down his nose at the Master. "Dear fellow, I walk in eternity!"   
  
The Master snapped his fingers and the Doctor faded away. "Good luck, Doctor!" he snarled. "You'll need it!"   
  
The Doctor found himself in entirely different surroundings. Clear blue sky surrounded him on all sides and he realised that he was standing on a large cloud. The sound of music drifted on a light breeze. It was the mechanical tune from a child's music box.   
  
"What lunacy is this?" the Doctor thought to himself, and then he raised his voice. "Well? I'm waiting!"   
  
"And not very patiently!" the Master added.   
  
The Doctor turned to see a silver-haired version of the Master. He was sitting at a long black trestle table, which had been draped in black silk. A large pyramid made entirely from playing cards sat on the table, along with a hexagonal, black box. It was from the box that the tinny music emanated from. The Master held it up for the Doctor's inspection.   
  
"This charming contraption was once the most prized possession of the Celestial Toymaker. It doesn't belong to the Toymaker anymore!" The Master turned the box's handle and glanced across at the Doctor. "Get inside!"   
  
The top of the box irised open, and a pink light drew the Doctor towards it. Helplessly, he felt his body fall into the box. The Master closed it after he was trapped within, and settled down to watch events unfold in a large, portable looking glass.   
  
The Doctor felt a bit giddy after being deposited into the Toymaker's box. "Wretched fellow!" the Doctor said aloud. He would have to deal with the Master later. He looked at his new environment. He was standing within a tunnel, the walls of which resembled a vast, patchwork quilt. To both sides of the Doctor, the tunnel disappeared into darkness, but how far did they go?   
  
The Doctor decided to press on into the gloom. A very pale light penetrated the fabric walls from the outside and just about illuminated the path ahead. After walking a short way, the Doctor came to an intersection of tunnels. One tunnel went left, the other carried on ahead, and the last one went right. The Doctor made for the left hand tunnel and just stopped in time as three bars of blazing red light slammed horizontally across the opening. The air crackled and sizzled around him. The Doctor took a deep breath, if he had been a few seconds quicker in entering the tunnel....   
  
"Not so high and mighty now, are you, Doctor?" the Master's voice mocked.   
  
The Doctor approached the middle passage. "Careful, Doctor!" the Master warned. "You never know what's around the corner!"   
  
Ever so slowly, the Doctor edged inside the tunnel. Nothing happened. All of a sudden, a strange mechanical whirring sound filled the air. A neat, unbroken line of miniature Daleks appeared and circled the Doctor's feet. Round and round they went, crying "Exterminate!" in their squeaky little voices. Angrilly, the Doctor kicked them all aside. Undaunted, they re-grouped and scuttled away, further down the tunnel.   
  
The Master's laughter echoed around the Doctor. "Be thankful, they were not the genuine articles, Doctor!"   
  
The Doctor gripped his lapels and stood ramrod straight. "Young man!" he snapped. "There is scant little about you that can be said to be genuine!"   
  
With a terrible tearing sound, the path in front of him fell inwards, revealing a gaping black hole.   
  
"No Doctor, not that way!" the Master again.   
  
The Doctor looked behind him. An enormous playing card hung suspended in the air. It was the king of hearts, with the Doctor's face. As he stared at the manifestation, the card flipped itself over to reveal the Master, in the guise of the joker.   
  
"More of a fool than a joker!" the Doctor chuckled. The giant card suddenly exploded and the Doctor found himself in the middle of a malestrom of cards. They fluttered around his head like a swarm of angry bees. They began to push the Doctor back towards the hole.   
  
"The cards are stacked in my favour, Doctor!" The cloud of swirling cards became denser, and the Doctor fell backwards into darkness.   
  
The darkness vanished and the Doctor found himself pitching backwards and forwards, sickeningly. He was sitting astride a brightly painted wooden rocking horse.   
  
"What is this tomfoolery?" he thought. Once more the tinny sound of the child's music box reached his ears. The Doctor attempted to get off the horse, but he was paralysed by some unseen force. The rocking horse began to speed up.   
  
"Giddy-up, Doctor!" the Master chuckled. Faster and faster went the rocking horse. Soon the contraption and the Doctor were a blur of motion. "Buckaroo!" the Master cried.   
  
The rocking horse stopped dead, and the Doctor flew from the saddle like a bullet fired from a gun. He sailed throught he air and landed in an undignified heap on a bright yellow bouncy castle. Exhausted, he stared up at the patchwork sky, which suddenly changed into a kaleidascope of different colours. A greatly enlarged face appeared within the colours. It was the Master.   
  
The Doctor, in his weakened state, found himself drawn towards the giant pair of eyes. The ebbing and flowing of the colours made his eyelids feel heavy.   
  
"I am your Master!" the giant face intoned. "You will obey me!" The Doctor tried to blot out the face, but he was so tired. "Obey me, you will obey me, obey me, obey your Master!" the Master continued in his hypnotic monotone.   
  
Seconds before he was consumed by the Master's will, a strange vision floated across the Doctor's consciousness. It seemed to be a semi-transparent mass, almost ameoba-like. One moment it was there, and then it was gone, but it seemed to give him a mental boost.#   
  
The Doctor chuckled at the bemused look on the Master's face. "Oh do shut up!"   
  
The Master's shocked countenance disappeared, and the Doctor once again stood opposite his foe on the cloud. The evil Time Lord could barely contain his rage. The music from the Toymaker's box stopped and was replaced by the sound of children singing.   
" London Bridge is falling down,  
falling down, falling down,  
London Bridge is falling down,  
My Fair Lady "  
A gust of wind broke up the Master's card pyramid and carried it away.   
  
"Not so pleased with yourself now, are you?" the Doctor asked. "It will take more than cheap mind tricks to stop me, dear boy!"   
  
The Master pointed a black gloved finger at the Doctor. "Get out of my sight!" The Doctor vanished.   
  
"I'm getting a little fed up with all this tooing and froing!" the Doctor grumbled. The Master had transported him to a vast grey landscape. Grey clouds scudded across a grey sky and a grey sun cast grey light down upon him.   
  
A bright purple tent appeared in front of him. It was the only splash of colour around. Warily, he lifted a flap and went inside. Sitting within the tent on a pile of cushions was a strikingly beautiful woman, whose skin glowed with a silver sheen, and her eyes burned with cold intelligence.   
  
"Welcome, Doctor!" she said quietly.   
  
"Do I know you, young lady?" he asked.   
  
"I am Ishtar, but perhaps you know me by another name!"   
  
The Doctor racked his brains, but could not remember her. "I apologise, my dear, but I simply can't recall!"   
  
Ishtar produced a question mark handled umbrella and threw it at the Doctor's feet. "When we last met Doctor, you looked somewhat different in appearance!"   
  
"What regeneration?" the Doctor asked, without pleasantry.   
  
"Seventh, and you called yourself 'Time's Champion'!"   
  
"Arrogance!" the Doctor tutted. "A trait of my race!"   
  
"Which goes hand in hand with stupidity!" Ishtar got up and approached the Doctor. She seemed to flow instead of walk. She caressed the Doctor's cheek. Her touch was cold and metallic.   
  
"Remember me yet, Time Lord?" The Doctor staggered back in shock. "I sense your fear, Time Lord!"   
  
"The Timewyrm!" the Doctor gasped.   
  
Ishtar circled the Doctor, a huntress eyeing up her prey. The Doctor's expression was unreadable, but he was frantically trying to remember the outcome of his last encounter with the evil entity before him. Seventh regeneration she had said, but it was so hard to look that far into his own future memories.   
  
"What the devil did I do?" he thought.   
  
"I'll tell you what you did!" Ishtar hissed. "you trapped my life force inside your own brain and then transfered it into the mind of a child!"   
  
The Doctor was appalled.   
  
"Irresponsible, wasn't it!" Ishtar laughed.   
  
"Dangerous is the word I would use!" the Doctor said.   
  
"You disaprove of your future selve's actions?"   
  
"I can hardly change them now, can I?"   
  
"If you could, would you?"   
  
"I refuse to answer such a foolish question!"   
  
"No mind is closed to mine, even that of a Time Lord!"   
  
Ishtar stood in front of the Doctor and placed her hands against his temples. He felt a powerful presence penetrate his mind. He tried to put up a mental barrier, but Ishtar was very powerful indeed. Inch by inch, she gained access to his thoughts.   
  
The Doctor's arms hung limply by his side and his eyes glazed over with the Timewyrm's taint.   
  
The Master stared intently into his looking glass. "Now this should be interesting!" he mused.   
  
Ishtar wrapped herself securely around the Doctor's mind. "Now Time Lord!" she exulted. "Let me see your thoughts!"   
  
An image began to form in the Doctor's mind. It was a short, dark-haired girl, with incredibly deep, clear eyes. It was his grandaughter, Susan. Ishtar watched the unfolding memory, as seen from the Doctor's point of view.   
  
The Doctor was looking at Susan on the TARDIS scanner screen. He had locked her out of the ship deliberately, after he had thwarted the Dalek invasion of Earth. It was time she settled down and enjoyed a less hectic and secure life. That young man, David Campbell, would take good care of her, of that the Doctor was certain, besides, he loved her. The Doctor switched on the TARDIS loudspeaker.   
  
"One day I shall come back, yes one day! Until then, there must be no tears, no regrets, no anxieties, just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine!"   
  
With that, he had set the ship in flight. A single tear ran down the Doctor's cheek. He would greatly miss his grandaughter.   
  
Ishtar probed further for more memories.   
  
The next remembrance showed the Doctor in Paris, in the year 1572, a time of great danger and religious strife. The Timewyrm eagerly read each thought, feeding on the Doctor's fertile mind.   
  
The Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, aided by the hated dignitary, the Abbot of Amboise, had hatched a plot to wipe out all the French Protestants, also known as Huguenots.   
  
The Doctor and his companion, Steven had befriended a group of Protestant rebels from the household of Admiral de Coligny, a high-ranking Protestant official,who was also to be killed in the Catholic scheme. The Doctor bore an exact likeness of the Abbot, and so a daring plan of impersonation was devised, however, not even the Doctor and his companions could stop the terrible bloodbath of brutal killings which took place on St. Bartholomew's Eve.   
  
During the massacre, the Doctor and Steven narrowly avoided being killed themselves, and managed to escape the carnage in the TARDIS.   
  
The Timewyrm soaked up every last bit of the horror of the terrible events which unfolded in the Doctor's sub-conscious.   
  
"More, Time Lord!" she whispered. "Show me more!"   
  
The TARDIS arrived in the London of 1966, on Wimbledon common. Steven was still very traumatised by the events that he and the Doctor had just barely walked away from. The Doctor seemed to take it in his stride, and it angered Steven that he could sometimes be so cold-hearted.   
  
"Surely there was something we could have done to stop it?" Steven protested.   
  
"No, nothing!"   
  
"Did they all die?"   
  
"Yes, most of them!" the Doctor replied, gravely. "Ten thousand in Paris alone!"   
  
"The Admiral?" Steven enquired.   
  
"Yes!" the Doctor sighed heavilly, and for once appeared to show his great age. "The massacre continued for several days in Paris, and then spread to other parts of France!"   
  
"I can't believe you left them to die!"   
  
"Steven, even I cannot change the course of history, I dare not!"   
  
This answer was not good enough for Steven, and in a fit of rage he stormed out of the TARDIS, never to return. The Doctor was left alone to ponder his own actions. He knew deep down that he had done the right thing, but it was a heavy cross to bear.   
  
"Such a senseless waste of life....a terrible page of the past!"   
  
The TARDIS suddenly seemed very empty. He reflected upon his previous companions, and how sometimes his decisions could appear to be heartless and cruel.   
  
"So, they've all gone, all gone!" the Doctor whispered. "None of them could understand, not even my little Susan. They were all too impatient to get back to their own time!"   
  
The Doctor's hand's suddenly shot to his head and he focused his thoughts with one goal in mind - to expunge the Timewyrm from his mind.   
  
"You are not real!" the Doctor cried. "You are merely a projection of the Master's will!"   
  
Inside the Doctor's head, the Timewyrm screamed in agony.   
  
"I deny this reality!"   
  
Ishtar's link with the Doctor was broken, and she collapsed on to her bed of cushions, where she slowly dissolved into a large silver puddle.   
  
The Master entered the tent and applauded the Doctor's triumph. The Doctor shot him a filthy look.   
  
"You are indeed stronger than you appear, old man!" the Master said.   
  
"Well?" the Doctor snapped. "What's it to be, another conjuring trick?"   
  
The Master reached into his jacket pocket and produced one of his cubes.   
  
"No, not this time , Doctor!" the Master casually stated. "I have done with you for the time being!"   
  
"I beg your parden?" the Doctor said, affronted.   
  
"Stick around for a while, will you?" the Master chortled, and activated the cube.   
  
The Doctor doubled over in pain as he was broken down into energy particles and imprisonned within the cube. His features appeared on every tiny window.   
  
"I never did like you in that particular regeneration, Doctor!" the Master chided.   
  
It was time to bring another inarnation of the Doctor into the game. 


	2. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE - THE PHAROS PROJECT  
The Fourth Doctor had once again thwarted the Master's evil plans, though the price was dear. The body of the Doctor lay underneath the communications tower of the huge radio sattelite dish, which he had used to stop a vast entropy field caused by the Master from destroying the entire universe. In the process of stopping the renegade Time Lord, the Doctor had fallen from a high gantry. Adric, Tegan and Nyssa knealt beside the Doctor's broken body. They called his name, in the hope that he was still alive.   
  
The Doctor suddenly blinked and gave a wry smile as he looked up at his companions. "It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for!" he said with a sigh. He reached out his arm, and from the shadows, a figure appeared and began to approach the Doctor. There were no identifying features on the shadowy figure, as it was covered from head to toe with white, glowing fabric, but Adric seemed to recognise him.   
  
"The Watcher!" he exclaimed, pointing.   
  
Tegan was incredulous. "It was the......"   
  
"Doctor all along!" a sinister voice echoed from the shadows.   
  
"It's the Master!" Nyssa exclaimed as she stood up and looked at the hated, dark figure of the man who had killed her Father and stolen his body.   
  
"The Doctor's lives's will be mine, now and forever!" the Master boomed. He raised his right arm, and in his hand was a small, black cylindrical object. He pointed it at the Watcher and pressed a small red button.   
  
"No!" Adric shouted. "You can't do that!"   
  
A red beam of intense light shot from the device and enveloped the shrouded aparition, paralysing it.   
  
"Oh but I can!" the Master said, looking at a startled Adric. "Just look at your new Doctor now!" The Master exulted with evil pleasure. "Who will be your saviour now? You are all doomed!"   
  
The Master turned his gaze back to the imobile form of the being which was to become the Fith Doctor. The white material which covered him now hung tattered and torn, as the red energy slowly destroyed and consumed his lifeforce.   
  
A shrill and anguished cry emanated from the Watcher, as it began to falter from the sheer pain. Miraculously, it spoke. "My time has come, before I've even started! Forgive me......."   
  
"Stop it, please!" Nyssa cried as she was forced to watch the new Doctor's dissolution with Adric and Tegan. All they could do was look on in helplessness.   
  
"This is not how it was supposed to be!" Adric said.   
  
The sound of the Master's laughter grew louder and louder as his evil and malicious plan unfolded before his eyes.   
  
With one final shreak, the red energy field finally consumed the ghost-like form of the Doctor's next incarnation, and vanished.   
  
"And now for you, Doctor!" the Master said with a slight edge of seriousness. "Oh yes, you will be the pride of the collection!" Raising his arm again to point the weapon at the injured Doctor on the ground, he pressed a different button and the Doctor was enveloped within a white light.   
  
"Let the game begin!" the Master chortled, as he slank back into the shadows of the Pharos tower.   
  
It seemed like an eternity had passed, or was it a short while? Images were racing through the mind of the Doctor. Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, Romana, the Monitor, the destruction of Logopolis, the Pharos project.....   
  
The Doctor's eyes opened wide in startlement. "The Pharos project!" he said suddenly. "The Master!" The Doctor got to his feet, if a little unsteady, and tried to gain his composure, and his memories of the events which had just transpired. As he looked around, he had the feeling that something was not quite right. When he had arrived at the Pharos project, the weather was quite pleasant, but it had now become dark, and streaks of fierce red blazed on the horizon.   
  
"Well, it seems as though I have been here for quite a while!" the Doctor said to himself as he took in his surroundings and the enormous Pharos sattelite dish. "Oh well, time is pressing and there are thing's to do! Come along Adric!" The Doctor turned and walked a few paces towards the TARDIS. "Adric?" he called. No answer. "Where is that boy?" he grumbled. As he looked for his companion, he was once more overcome by the sensation that all was not well in the world.   
  
The Doctor continued to walk towards the TARDIS. "Maybe Adric is waiting for me inside the TARDIS!" he thought. "Along with Nyssa and Tegan!" Reaching for the special key, the Doctor promptly entered his beloved transport.   
  
As the Doctor walked inside the TARDIS, he couldn't help but overhear a familiar sound echo through the corridors. "The Cloister Bell!" he muttered. "Battle stations!" The Doctor set off at a brisk pace to the console room, but as soon as he got there, the bell had ceased ringing. "Adric?" he called. "Tegan, Nyssa?" Nothing. Where were they?   
  
The Doctor turned to the controls and started to change the settings. He had questions that he wanted answering, questions that he felt only a fellow Time lord could answer.   
  
After a moment or two, the light on the top of the TARDIS began flashing and before the police box dematerialised, a sinister laugh echoed across the sky like thunder, and then faded away.   
  
Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor was pacing around the console room, talking to himself. "Why?" the Doctor mused. "The Pharos project on Earth, I was there for something which started on Logopolis!" The Doctor rubbed his forehead in thought. "The Master? No, no, no,no, not him - the Monitor!" A memory stirred. "I wanted to fix the TARDIS Chameleon Circuit, yes, I came to Earth from Logopolis" The Doctor stopped pacing, a terrible look on his face. "The Master, he destroyed Logopolis, and the Traken Union!" he cried. "I remember, we came to the Pharos project to finish the work that the Monitor had started, but the Master turned the tables against me, but I had to stop him!" The Doctor banged his forehead with a closed fist. "Yes, I fell from the Pharos dish, I fell to the ground and died, and regenerated into my fith incarnation!"   
  
At that moment, the dull thud of the Cloister bell began to echoe through the TARDIS. "Adric!" the Doctor said iritably. "Answer that, there's a good chap!"   
  
There was a soft jolt as the TARDIS reached it's destination. The Cloister bell stopped it's mournful ringing. The Doctor pressed a button on the console, and walked out of the doors into the world around him.   
  
"Hang on!" the Doctor said, looking around as he emerged. "This isn't Gallifrey!"   
  
The TARDIS had materialised on London Bridge, a very quiet London Bridge. Not a single vehical moved on the road, there were no pedestrians in sight anywhere along the streets and strangely, no birds could be seen.   
  
The Doctor walked back into the TARDIS, and closed the doors behind him. According to his instruments he should have arrived on Gallifrey, but instead he was still on Earth. The Doctor reset the settings for Gallifrey, and then activated the Time Rotor, but nothing happened. The TARDIS it seemed, was dead.   
  
"What's going on?" the Doctor boomed. "Why aren't you working properly old girl, why is it so quiet outside, and where have Adric, Tegan and Nyssa gone?"   
  
"Doctor!" a voice spoke quietly, outside the TARDIS.   
  
The Doctor hesitated for a moment and looked towards the TARDIS doors. He recognised that voice. He pressed the door control and walked out of the TARDIS into the deserted streets of London.   
  
"Hello!" the Doctor said. "Is anyone there?"   
  
"This way, Doctor!" the voice said. "Quickly!" The voice sounded familiar, yet strangely different.   
  
"Adric?"   
  
"Yes!" the voice replied. "Hurry!"   
  
The Doctor started to follow the voice down through the empty London streets. Before long, he had found himself at Trafalgar Square. "Adric!" the Doctor said, catching his breath. "Where are you?"   
  
"I'm right behind you!"   
  
The Doctor turned around and caught sight of a figure emerging from the shadows of Nelson's Column. He stared in astonishment at Adric. He was a boy no longer, and had aged many years since they had last met.   
  
"I see you've finally had the courage to come back, Doctor!" he said in an acidic tone.   
  
"Come back?" the Doctor said in disbelief. "I never left. What's going on here?"   
  
"You left me here Doctor, when you went to Pesca, but you never returned. You turned your back on me and the Earth, your 'home away from home' as you once called it!"   
  
"Adric!" the Doctor said, stepping forward. "How long has it been since I visited this Pesca?"   
  
"Twelve years, Doctor!" Adric replied, coldly.   
  
"You look well!" the Doctor said.   
  
"And you havn't changed at all!" Adric said.   
  
"What? I've regenerated recently!"   
  
"Don't Time Lord's undergo a physical change when they regenerate?" Adric asked, pointing at the Doctor.   
  
"Always! You know that!" The Doctor said in a raised voice.   
  
"Then, from where I stand, you are the same old Doctor!" Suddenly, the drone of an air-raid siren echoed through the streets. "If you value your lives, Doctor, I suggest you get off the streets!" Adric cast a glance at the Doctor, and vanished into the shadows.   
  
"Adric!" the Doctor called. "Adric!" But it was no use, he was gone. Deciding that he wasn't going to get answers standing around, the Doctor took Adric's advice and headed back to the TARDIS, at a brisk pace. As he walked back, he couldn't understand why the streets were so deserted. Was there a war going on? He didn't think so. Suddenly, the Doctor realised that he wasn't alone, he could hear footseps approaching him from behind. The Doctor turned quickly and found himself face to face with his follower. "You!"   
  
"Greetings, Doctor!" the Master said in a cheery tone.   
  
"What are you doing here?" the Doctor exclaimed as he kept his gaze fixed firmly upon the Master.   
  
"Just keeping an eye on my favourite Time Lord!" the Master chuckled. "It's frightfully dangerous out here!" The Master tilted his head slightly, and looked at the Doctor. "Tell me, Doctor, have you recently regenerated?"   
  
"What an absurd question!" the Doctor snapped. "It was you that caused it!"   
  
"Temper, temper!" the Master said, taking a step back. "Have you seen your new face yet?" The Master stretched out his left arm and pointed to a nearby building. The Doctor slowly turned his head in the direction the Master was pointing. His gaze fell upon a number of darkened windows, which turned them into mirrors. He caught sight of their reflections. A chill ran through the Doctor's body as he saw himself.   
  
"It's Me!" the Doctor muttered, dumbfounded.   
  
"Of course it is!" the Master replied. "Who else would it be?"   
  
"But I died!" the Doctor said. "why didn't I regenerate?"   
  
"Well..." the Master said. "You did save me on Logopolis, one good turn deserves another, I suppose!"   
  
"You havn't got a kind bone in your body!" the Doctor said, looking at the Master sternly. "What are you up to?"   
  
"A test of wits, Doctor" the Master said, raising an eyebrow. "Call it survival!"   
  
"What's at stake in this little test of yours?"   
  
"More than you realise, Doctor!" The Master looked over his shoulder and three men appeared out of the darkness, they made no sound and their faces were expressionless. The Doctor looked at them as they stood before him. He had not met any of them, but they seemed familiar.   
  
"Let me introduce you to your future incarnations, Doctor!" the Master said. "They are the stake in my little test!"   
  
"You've found a way to steal my regenerations?" the Doctor asked, stunned.   
  
"Oh no, Doctor" the Master replied. "They are your lives, but have no mistake, your actions here will have an adverse effect on these and all future incarnations!" The Master snapped his fingers and the images of the Doctors vanished.   
  
"So!" the Doctor said. "If I die, it will all be over!"   
  
"Let's put that to the test, shall we?" the Master said, reaching into a pocket. He produced an old Earth hand-gun.   
  
The Doctor burst into fits of laughter. "Oh please don't make me laugh!" He pointed at the ancient weapon.   
  
The Master gave a sinister smile as he squeezed the trigger and fired a single shot at pointe blank range. The bullet struck the Doctor, but he felt no pain, in fact, he didn't even feel the impact.   
  
"You know, sometimes your actions bewilder me!" the Doctor said.   
  
"Never forget who you are dealing with!" the Master said in a stern voice.   
  
"I know who I'm dealing with!" the Doctor exploded in anger. "You're nothing but a charlatan and a phoney, a worthless excuse who squandered the lives that the High Council bestowed upon you!"   
  
Suddenly, the Doctor felt a burning sensation growing from within his stomach.   
  
"Is everything all right, Doctor?" the Master asked. "You look a little uncomfortable!"   
  
"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked through clenched teeth.   
  
"This is just to serve as a reminder, Doctor!" the Master said, stepping towards his nemesis. "You and I, we are very much alike you know!"   
  
The burning sensation moved down the Doctor's legs, and it intensified with each passing moment. The Doctor cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.   
  
"We are not alike!" the Doctor uttered.   
  
"Oh but we are!" the Master continued, as he circled slowly around the fallen Doctor. "We think the same, we act the same, and we want the same!"   
  
"I don't want what you want!" the Doctor said slowly as he looked up at the Master.   
  
"On the contary, Doctor" the Master said as he positioned himself in front of the Doctor and sat on the ground. "You see, you want domination over the living, but while you do it by providing peace and harmony, I do it by evoking fear. Most importantly though, you want the thrill of the hunt, to be continually challenged, and you know who provides you with that...me!"   
  
"That's absurd!" the Doctor muttered as he tried to keep some semblence of control. He reached out with his left arm in a futile attempt to grab the Master, but it was no use. The burning pain continued to spread and the sensation grew more painful, so he let his arm fall back beside him. The Master calmly observed.   
  
"All the times we crossed paths, all the opportunities you had to stop me permanantly, but you never did. You had my destiny in your hands when we were on Logopolis, you could have easily defeated me, but instead you chose to make a stupid alliance!" the Master leant forward slightly and stared into the Doctor's eyes. "You need me Doctor, if I weren't here, you'd be nothing more than a shadow of who you are, a mindless puppet roaming space and time doing the High Council's bidding!"   
  
"I will stop you if it's the last thing I do!" the Doctor cried.   
  
"Who's laying on the floor,Doctor? Who's body is slowly being incinerated from the inside out?"   
  
"I will not be a part of your mind games!" the Doctor blurted out in agony as he felt the pain creep up his neck.   
  
"Remember what is at stake, Doctor!" the Master reminded him as he stood up. He began to chuckle as he looked at the helpless form of the Doctor, twisting in agony and pain on the ground. "Killing you once was never enough, Doctor!"   
  
The Doctor's sight was growing dim, he was dying. From where his head was positioned he could see his outstretched hand, but he no longer had the strength to do anything. He continued to look on as the skin on his hand began to bubble and blister, and suddenly what little energy he had left turned from anger to morbid horror and fear, as flames erupted from beneath his wrist and slowly licked and danced up his arm, incinerating his clothing in the process.   
  
In his mind, he was screaming insanely, but not a sound was uttered as the Doctor closed his eyes....and died. 


	3. Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX - THE FACE OF THE ENEMY  
"Hello Sir, can you hear me?" The voice was faint as though it were being whispered or they were far away. "Doctor!" the voice called again.   
  
"That's my name!" the Doctor thought. "Someone is calling to me!"   
  
"Doctor!" the voice continued. "Do we have any medical records on this patient?"   
  
"Sorry, Doctor, No" another voice replied. "We couldn't make a match!"   
  
"It's that damned Empire and their laws again, I bet!" the first voice said with dis-taste.   
  
"Please Doctor, don't curse 'them' I beg of you!" the second voice said. "Remember what happened to the last person!"   
  
"He's regaining consciousness!" the first voice said.   
  
The Doctor slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. The room was completely white, and he was surrounded by medical equipment."Where am I?" he asked in a drowsy tone. He lifted his head up and saw two women examining a chart.   
  
One of the women looked up and smiled at the Doctor, she looked fairly young, with long ginger hair. "Everything is going to be alright Sir" she said. "Somebody found you lying unconscious by London Bridge, you were suffering from exhaustion!"   
  
"I need to get out of here!" the Doctor said.   
  
"You need to relax!" the woman said. "Your body has been through a lot and you need to get your strength back!"   
  
The door opened slightly, and a man poked his head into the room. "Could I see you for a second?" he said.   
  
"I'll be back in a moment!" the woman told the Doctor, and she and the other woman who had remained silent left the room.   
  
"What is his condition?" the man asked.   
  
"Recovering!" the ginger-haired woman replied.   
  
"Do we know anything about him yet?"   
  
"No, nothing!"   
  
"Why don't we ask him then?" the man said, pushing the door open.   
  
They walked into the room and stood in silence. The bed was empty and the window was open. The Doctor had escaped.   
  
It was a particularly warm day, but most of the sky was covered in grey cloud and it was raining.   
  
The Doctor was walking aimlessly around London, he wanted to get to his TARDIS, but for some reason he wasn't sure how to get to it. He'd noticed earlier, that not only was he still dressed while he was laying in the hospital bed, but he was no longer wearing the same clothes that he had worn when he had arrived on Earth. He was, in fact wearing the clothes that he had chosen for himself shortly after his regeneration from his third incarnation. The sombre burgundy and purples had been replaced by an altogether more colourful attire.   
  
"Hey buddy, take one!" a voice boomed from nowhere. A hand was thrust in front of his face, holding a flyer. The Doctor took it and walked on.   
  
The Doctor reached the end of the street, then he unfolded the piece of paper and began to read it to himself. "Tonight we present the greatest hunt yet! Witness the spectacular event as the contestant races through the streets of London! Watch it live on the streets or live on television, as the Guardians of the Empire hunt down a most infamous contestant!" The Doctor stopped reading and his eyes darted all around the street. He was to be the contestant in the hunt.   
  
A hand suddenly grasped the Doctor's left shoulder, and he spun around.   
  
"You got a light pal?" a man slurred. From the fragrant aromas coming from his mouth when he spoke, it was clear that he had consumed a vast quantity of alcohol.   
  
"Sorry!" the Doctor replied. "Don't smoke!"   
  
The drunk man uttered a few profanities and shuffled off the way he had come.   
  
The Doctor shook his head and carried on walking, although this time trying to be a little less conspicuous. He walked for about half an hour before finding a place to rest. "Now where did I park my TARDIS?" he mused.   
  
"You got a light, pal?" a familiar voice spoke.   
  
"Look, I don't smoke!" the Doctor said turning round. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the person standing in front of him.   
  
"The last time I saw you, you were smoking quite heavily!" the Master cackled.   
  
"Very witty!" the Doctor said, coldly. "What is the meaning of all this?"   
  
"It's just one reality in an infinite number of possibilities!"   
  
"I shall no longer play your childish little game!" the Doctor fumed.   
  
"Time may be eternal, Doctor, but my patience is not!"   
  
"Then let's forget all of this! How about just you and me, one last time!"   
  
"Last Time Lord standing eh Doctor?" the Master said. He pretended to think it through for a moment before continuing. "Why not!" he said with a half-smile. "Yes, just you, me and my...GUARDS!"   
  
The Doctor noticed four men in Police uniforms.   
  
"Just the man we're looking for!" one of them said. "We've got to get you ready for your spectacular 'performance'!"   
  
"Are you sure it's me you're looking for?" the Doctor asked sweetly.   
  
"Indeed you are, Doctor!" the officer replied.   
  
"Aah!" the Doctor said. "In that case....." He turned suddenly and set off at a run, not realising in his haste that the Master had once more vanished. The Police officers began to chase the Doctor through the mirky back alleys of London. After a few twists and turns, the Doctor found himself at the back of a row of shops, and on the opposite side of the alley he saw a load of wheely bins. Fearing that he would be caught, the Doctor hurled himself into the nearest bin.   
  
The Doctor heard hurried footsteps and muffled voices as the Police approached. Fortunately, they were in too much of a hurry to stop and look inside the bins. After a few moments of silence, the Doctor lifted the lid, and climbed out. he was pretty much un-scathed, apart from a few bits of rotten fruit and vegetables on his clothing. The Doctor brushed himself off and glanced around, furtively.   
  
"I thought I heard a noise!" somebody called.   
  
"Police!" the Doctor cursed and hurriedly tried to flatten himself against the wall. He had no escape route open to him should they return. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him backwards. The Doctor turned round to see who had captured him and found himself pulled onto the other side of the alley wall via a hidden door.   
  
"That's terribly clever!" the Doctor beamed, realising that he already knew his captor.   
  
It was the ginger-haired woman from the hospital. "Yes, it comes in handy at times!"   
  
"Are you going to take me back to the hospital?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"Quite the opposite" the woman said. "My name is Doctor Sarah Croft, I am part of a resistance movement!"   
  
"What resistance movement?" the Doctor enquired. "Resistance to who, and what's this Empire people keep harping on about?"   
  
"All in good time!" Sarah said. "We have to get you safely to our hideout" The Doctor watched, as Sarah pulled away a few crates and boxes to reveal a metal door. After a few moments, she unlocked and opened it. "Come on!" she said. "This way!"   
  
The Doctor silently followed her through the doorway and along a series of passages. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "Where are we going?"   
  
"We need to make our way to Cannon Street station, and then down into the underground main tunnel. There you will see our hideout!"   
  
"How much further?" the Doctor asked, impatiently.   
  
"It should be just around here" Sarah said as they turned a corner and found themselves in front of a heavy-looking iron door. She opened the door and they walked through. The door closed itself behind them.   
  
They emerged into a small, dull ticket office. As far as technology was concerned, the place was very much behind the times. The Doctor walked around the draughty space, looking at the various leaflets, and pieces of unused fare collecting machinery.   
  
"This way, Doctor!" Sarah said as she walked over to one of the huge, silent lifts, which would convey them to the platform below.   
  
"Dust and decay!" the Doctor muttered, under his breath.   
  
The Doctor strolled past a small ticket window, when all of a sudden, the shutter flew up to reveal the Master in his new guise, complete with black railwayman's cap. He sat on the opposite side of the glass, with a sly smile on his face. "Your train follows mine from platform one, Guv!" the Master said in a terrible parody of a cockney accent. Laughing, he punched a skull and crossbones marked button, and a ticket appeared. NO RETURN was printed across it. "Infinite Delays expected, Guv!" the Master laughed as he pulled the blind back down.   
  
The Doctor walked past the ticket booth and over to the gun-metal grey doors of the lift. After a moment they creeked open and both Sarah and the Doctor entered.   
  
"I must admit," the Dortor said looking at Sarah, "you were a little forthright in admitting your allegiance to me."   
  
Sarah pressed a button and the lift slowly decended. "You could say we were expecting you Doctor. Our leader is very wise."   
  
"Will I be meeting your leader?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"All in good time Doctor," Sarah replied.   
  
The lift slowed and then came to a stop and after a moment or two the doors creeked open.   
  
"We need to take the westbound platform Doctor," Sarah said pointing to a nearby passageway. They walked out of the lift and over to the passage.   
  
"Who is this Empire Sarah?" the Doctor said as he started to walk through the westbound passage.   
  
There was no answer.   
  
"Sarah," the Doctor said looking around. His eyes went wide as he noticed the entrance he just walked through was sealed and Sarah was nowhere to be seen.   
  
"Sarah," the Doctor called, but she was gone.   
  
Suddenly from somewhere overhead an intercom was activated.   
  
"Could I have your attention," a voice echoed.   
  
"The Master!" the Doctor uttered with distaste.   
  
"Welcome to Master Rail Doctor," the Master chuckled. "I must admit a little arrogance, but what's life without a little fun. Anyway, the train at platform one, is yours. Get a move on Doctor." the Master laughed loudly for a few moments before the intercom switched off.   
  
"Arrogant indeed Master," the Doctor said. He couldn't go back, and he hadn't a clue where Sarah went to he continued on his way to the platform. The Doctor walked along through the tiled passageways of the underground. The Doctor reached the end of the passage where it suddenly split into two different directions. "I could be here forever," the Doctor said looking left and right.   
  
"Doctor," a voice called, "Doctor, it's me Sarah. Please come quickly."   
  
The Doctor started running hurriedly down the left corridor, trying to find Sarah.   
  
"Doctor, you're getting close. I can hear your footsteps," Sarah called.   
  
The Doctor kept running until he finally saw Sarah. She was in the middle of a small room tied by her hands and ankles with rope.   
  
"Glad you could make it Doctor," the Master said walking out froma shadowy corner.   
  
"Untie her at once," the Doctor snapped.   
  
"Be my guest," the Master simply replied.   
  
The Doctor took a couple of steps forward before he was suddenlt stopped by some invisible wall blocking the entrance.   
  
"What are you up to?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"Like I say, it's survival. Nothing more, nothing less." the Master replied.   
  
"What am I surviving from?" the Doctor asked. "I mean, my life hasn't been in threatened much."   
  
"Then allow me to re-acquaint you with some old friends Doctor," the Master said chuckling as he moved back in to the shadows.   
  
From both the left and right side of the room, the Doctor could hear shuffling of many feet. The Doctor tried to peer into the darkness without much luck.   
  
"Go Doctor," Sarah said, "nothing can stop us, we can't allow it."   
  
"I can't leave you here," the Doctor said.   
  
The shuffling continued and suddenly the Doctor shuddered as he became face to face with an old adversary.   
  
"My God," the Doctor uttered under his breath, "Pescatons!"   
  
The light that was in the room slowly grew dim until the Doctor could no longer see either the Pescatons or Sarah. There was a few seconds silence then the attack came. The Doctor listened, helpless as the Pescatons viciously attacked Sarah, then just as quickly silence returned.   
  
"I would run if I were you Doctor," the Master's voice booomed through the tunnel. "Pescatons are not particularly fussy with their food."   
  
The Doctor could hear the shuffling feet of the Pescatons and so the Doctor had no choice but to turn and run before he was caught.   
  
"Doctor," a voice whispered, "quickly, we gotta go."   
  
The Doctor knew that voice from somewhere, and so listening to the voice he carried on down the passageway.   
  
"Doctor," the voice spoke again.   
  
The Doctor reached the end of the passage and found himself on a train platform.   
  
"Hurry Doctor," the voice said.   
  
The Doctor hesitated slightly. "It could be the Master playing tricks again," the Doctor thought.   
  
"Doctor," the voice said again.   
  
The Doctor decided to chance it, he took two quick steps forward and jumped through the doors as they began closing. There was a hissing noise as all the carriage doors closed and the train moved away from the station.   
  
After a couple of seconds the Doctor looked up with a slightly embarrassed look on his face as the passengers looked down at the Doctor on the floor.   
  
"Glad you could make it," the voice said.   
  
A hand appeared in front of the Doctor's face, and the Doctor got to his feet. He looked at the person who was calling his name and a big smile came across his lips.   
  
"Sarah Jane," the Doctor said beaming, then he embraced her in a warm hug. "It's good to see you again."   
  
"Like wise Doctor," Sarah Jane replied. "This is Rebecca," she continued as she held out her left hand. A small girl took hold of it and smiled up at the Doctor.   
  
"Hello young lady," the Doctor said kneeling, "are you a friend of Sarah Jane."   
  
"Yeah," she shyly replied.   
  
"Yeah, me and Rebecca are friends," Sarah Jane said as the Doctor stood up. "We haven't much time left," she whispered in the Doctor's ear. "We have to get you to our hideout to formulate a resistance plan."   
  
The lights in the carriage began to flicker and they suddenly went out, up and down the carriage people became aggitated and began screaming.   
  
"Rebecca?" Sarah Jane called.   
  
"I'm here," she said taking Sarah Janes' hand.   
  
The lights came back on and the Doctor quickly looked around the carriage. He looked over Sarah Janes' shoulder and stopped as he spotted the Master at the other end.   
  
The Master looked at him and gave him a menacing sneer, but his moment was being distracted by a small child crying. He looked at the child and pointed at him. "Stop that whailing or I'll have you tied to the tracks!" then he turned his attention to the Doctor with equal anger. "And as for you, get outta my sight before I change the rules!" The Master hesitated for a moment and a faint smile came across his lips. "On second thoughts, why should I care. Rules are meant to be broken, even if I am the one who makes the rules." The master snapped his fingers and the carriage was once again plunged into darkness.   
  
"What's going on Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked.   
  
"He's testing me," the Doctor replied.   
  
The lights came back on and both the Doctor and Sarah Jane looked around.   
  
"Where is everyone," Sarah Jane said.   
  
They looked around the carriage but the only people there were the Doctor, Sarah Jane and little Rebecca.   
  
"Who was that man?" Sarah Jane asked.   
  
"That man is the Master," the Doctor said.   
  
"Is he a Time Lord like you?"   
  
"Unfortunately," the Doctor said with distaste.   
  
"You know Doctor," the Master's voice echoed over the PA system, "you're right in saying I've made this just a little too easy for you so far. So how would you feel about sharing a train with a hundred Pescatons?" The Master laughed loudly as the Doctor and Sarah Jane ran to the end of the carriage. Both the Doctor and Sarah Jane gasped as they saw wave after wave of Pescatons shuffling towards the carriage door.   
  
"What do we do Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked.   
  
"We got to get off this train," the Doctor said looing over his shoulder.   
  
"Can this get any worse," Sarah Jane said.   
  
"If I can uncouple our carriage," the Doctor said, "we can leave them behind."   
  
"Be careful Doctor," Sarah Jane said putting a hand softly on his shoulder.   
  
"What," the Doctor said a little surprised, "you're not going to argue with me?"   
  
"I learnt a long time ago, never argue with you Doctor." Sarah Jane said smiling.   
  
"We'll make it," the Doctor said, he smiled and walked through the carriage door. The Doctor steadied himself as he knelt down and began trying to uncouple the connection to the other carriages. He could hear several neavy thumping noises as the Pescatons attempted to break out of the carriage.   
  
Suddenly there was a clicking noise as the door behind him locked, then a siren noise began to sound through the carriages.   
  
"Warning, warning," the Master's voice echoed, "a self-destruct system has been activated, each train carriage will explode sequentially. I repeat a self-destruct system has been activated, each train carriage will explode sequentially."   
  
"A self-destruct!" the Doctor exclaimed slowly standing up.   
  
"Oh Lord!" Sarah Jane sighed. She rushed to the drivers compartment to try and open the door, but it was locked.   
  
"Sarah Jane," the Doctor called, "stop the train!"   
  
"I can't," she replied, "the door to the driver's room is locked."   
  
"What!" the Doctor exclaimed as the door behind him was forced open.   
  
"Sarah Jane, what's going on?" Rebecca asked.   
  
"Stay back," Sarah Jane replied.   
  
Rebecca moved back towards the driver's door not knowing what was going on. Suddenly Rebecca screamed as the Pescatons began smashing their door, trying to get in. As they looked through the window they could see the Pescatons as they smashed relentlessly against the door, trying to get in. The door began to creek under the preasure before, as if hit by an almighty force of the door was blown out of the frame and crashed to the floor.   
  
"This is not good," Sarah Jane uttered as she backed up towards the driver's door. "Doctor," she cried, "where are you?"   
  
The Doctor heard Sarah Jane cry out but he too was in an acqward situation. Holding on for dear life the Doctor was slowly inching along the top of the carriage in an attempt to reach the Driver's room. "This must surely be the badiest idea in the whole history of bad ideas," the Doctor uttered through clentched teeth.   
  
Back in the carraige, Sarah Jane was desparately looking for a way out when she heard a metal clanking noise. She looked behind her and saw Rebecca crawling through a now uncovered vent hole.   
  
"Rebecca, what are you doing?" she said.   
  
"We have to stop this train right," Rebecca replied. "I'm the only one who can do it." With that she slid smoothly through the hatch.   
  
Sarah Jane looked again then she found what she was looking for, a maintenance hatch.   
  
The Pescatons were slowly advancing. They had reached half way along the carriage and getting nearer. The train continued to speed along at a fierce pace as Rebecca looked at the controls.   
  
"Hmm," she said looking, "which one's the right switch. Maybe this one?" Rebecca jumped as she saw the Doctor hanging onto the front of the train.   
  
"Rebecca," the Doctor called.   
  
"Doctor," Rebecca said as she was suddenly thrown to the floow as the train rocked from side to side.   
  
"I can't hold on for long," Sarah Jane said through clentched teech. She had found refuge from the Pescatons underneath the carriage and she was holding on for dear life to a metal pipe.   
  
"Pull the lever in front of me," the Doctor said.   
  
"Got it," she replied. She grabbed the lever and pulled it down with all her might.   
  
The brakes came on and the train quickly began to slow down. Rebecca and the Doctor could hear the banging of the Pescatons as they tried to enter the driver's cab as the train came to a stop. Rebecca opened the driver's door and got out and the Doctor jumped off his perch and breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
"Finally," the Doctor said. "Are you alright?" he asked Rebecca as she came towards him.   
  
"I'm okay," she replied smiling.   
  
"Where's Sarah Jane," the Doctor said. "Sarah Jane?"   
  
"I'm right here," she said as she approached the Doctor and Rebecca.   
  
"Sarah Jane," both the Doctor and Rebecca said looking at her.   
  
"I guess we all made it," Sarah Jane said.   
  
The noise from the carriage intensified and there was a loud bang as the door was forced from it's hinges.   
  
"They just won't quit!" the Doctor said. "Come on, we've got to get out of here. Run!"   
  
All three started running as the Pescatons shuffled into the cabin. They looked around silently wondering why it was empty. The siren which had been going all the while had halted abruptly.   
  
"So Doctor, you're not as smart as you thought," the voice of the Master echoed. Clearly the Master was unaware of their escape of it was merely a recorded message. "Time's up Doctor," the voice continued, "thank you for dying on Master Rail." There was a long loud chuckle before silence.   
  
Running along in the almost pitch black tunnel, Sarah Jane saw a blue light hanging against the side of one of the walls.   
  
"Over there," Sarah Jane said.   
  
They reached the light and the Doctor quickly looked behind to see if they were being chased. "I got a bad feeling," he said. "Everyone get down."   
  
Suddenly the carriages were enveloped with a brilliant light as the train exploded sending an emense ball of fire in both directions. After what seemed like forever, the fires calmed down. The Doctor looked up from the ground to see the remains of the train burning fiercely.   
  
"Is everyone alright?" the Doctor asked looking at Sarah Jane and Rebecca.   
  
"Yes Doctor," they replied as all three stood up, and brushed themselves off.   
  
"We'd better get moving." Sarah Jane said. As they approached the blue light the Doctor could make out a small tunnel leading away from the track.   
  
"Where are we?" the Doctor asked as they walked through the tunnel.   
  
"One in a series of underground tunnels that make a maze," Sarah Jane said. "If you know where you're going, you could get to us easily, otherwise you could be here for quite some time. This way." Sarah Jane turned left and carried on walked with the Doctor and Rebecca close behind.   
  
"Why is the Master doing this?" Sarah Jane asked as she briefly looked back at the Doctor.   
  
"He's calling it a little test of survival," the Doctor said. "Apparently, he's got my lives in his hands, and he's using me like some toy thing."   
  
"We're here," Sarah Jane said. She gently tapped on a nearby wall a few times and waited for a couple of seconds. There was a dull sound of a latch being released, and the wall moved a little way revealing an entrance. The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Rebecca walked through and the wall was moved back into place.   
  
The Doctor found himself in a large semi-circular room that had a high domed ceiling. Around him must of stood about two or perhaps three dozen people, talking, resting or making plans for some kind.   
  
"Over here Doctor," Sarah Jane said. The Doctor looked around and started to follow Sarah.   
  
"This is the leader or the resistance movement," Sarah Jane said pointing to a tall figure.   
  
"Welcome to the resistance Doctor," the figure said turning around. "I'm glad you arrived in one piece."   
  
The Doctor stared wide eyed at the leader of the resistance. "Adric!" he gasped. 


	4. Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN - CONFRONTATION  
"What's happening here?" the Doctor said looking around.   
  
"Can't you see Doctor," Adric replied. "We're fighting for our lives."   
  
"From the Pescatons?" the Doctor said.   
  
"And Zor, their leader."   
  
"I thought he was destroyed," the Doctor said slightly shocked. "How long have they been here? Are they this 'Empire' I keep hearing about?"   
  
"Sarah Jane," Adric said looking at her, "could you explain to the good Doctor. I have a few things I need to take care of."   
  
"How long have they been here Sarah Jane?"   
  
"They arrived here about eleven years ago Doctor."   
  
"But according to Adric the last time I encountered the Pescatons on Earth was twelve years ago."   
  
"After you left we presumed they left for Pesca, but later we came to the conclusion they were just layting in wait for the right moment. We were caught unaware when the invasion came. Hundreds of thousands massacred within three days, and by the seventh the number was in the millions. The human race had no choice but to capitulate to the Pescatons."   
  
"What happens to those who oppose the Pescatons?"   
  
"Public executions," Sarah Jane said with a heavy heart. "Prey in their numerous blood sports, beheadings, gladatorial battles."   
  
"That's horrific!" the Doctor exclaimed.   
  
"Doctor, Sarah Jane, we can't stay here any longer. I just got news that the Pescatons have found the tunnels." Adric turned and faced the others. "We have to leave, collect what you can we've no time."   
  
Everything became a hive of activity as people began to take as much as they could carry.   
  
"How do we get out of here?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"We have a secret passage we can use in emergencies." Adric said. "Everybody, quiet."   
  
There was a hush in the room as everybody stood and listened. They could hear the echo of shuffling feet from the passageways.   
  
"They're here," Adric said, "which means we shouldn't be. Let's move." Adric walked to the back of the room where he unlocked and opened a large cast iron door.   
  
"I've been here many times Sarah Jane," the Doctor said walking along the corridor, "but I've never seen the weather so .." he fumbled for an appropriate word, "Dank."   
  
Sarah Jane briefly looked at the Doctor. "Zor made this place dank. He makes it so that it constantly rains, it makes the environment more acceptable to the Pescatons."   
  
"How many resistance movements are there?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"Not enough," Adric replied. "Before there were hundreds, possibly thousands. Over time though our numbers have dwindled greatly."   
  
"Ahh, I see," the Doctor said.   
  
The weather hadn't much improved as they emerged in a side alleyway.   
  
"Where are we," the Doctor asked as he put up his umbrella.   
  
"Near London Bridge," Sarah Jane said pointing.   
  
"London Bridge," the Doctor said. "Excellent, my TARDIS is here."   
  
"You can't leave us Doctor," Adric exclaimed.   
  
"I wasn't planning to, but a few tools would perhaps help us."   
  
Adric turned and faced the others. "You all stay here out of sight. We shall be back soon."   
  
The Doctor, Adric and Sarah Jane quickly and silently made their way towards London Bridge.   
  
"My TARDIS," the Doctor said pointing to his TARDIS.   
  
They took the chance and ran towards the TARDIS before anyone could notice. The Doctor reached the TARDIS and tried to open the door.   
  
"My, my Doctor. We much stop meeting like this," a sinister voice chortled.   
  
"It's that Master," Adric said in a shocked voice.   
  
"You are beginning to tire me Master," the Doctor said.   
  
"And you're beginning to interest me, finally Doctor." the Master said. He was surrounded by six humans in Police uniforms, all carrying weapons.   
  
One of the men stepped forwards and raised it's weapon. "In accordance with the Guardians of the Empire you are to be placed before public execution."   
  
"Keep trying the door Doctor," Sarah Jane whispered to the Doctor.   
  
"There's no escape Doctor," the Master said.   
  
The Doctor had his hands behind his back trying to unlock the TARDIS. "You know Master, sometimes you can be more irritating than that Valeyard!"   
  
Adric and Sarah Jane turned their heads slightly at the Doctor. "Valeyard."   
  
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Valeyard. Or brickyard, scrapyard, knackersyard or even shipyard."   
  
"You've enountered a Valeyard Doctor?" the Master asked.   
  
"No," the Doctor said, "but my sixth incarnation has, or is that will encounter."   
  
"How do you know what's going to happen in your future incarnations Doctor?" Adric asked. "Some kind of precognition."   
  
"Hmm," the Doctor thought, "maybe." The Doctor felt a slight click as the TARDIS door unlocked. "On three," the Doctor whispered.   
  
"Come on Doctor," the officer said. "No time to waste."   
  
"But time to die," the Master said.   
  
"Indeed," the Doctor said with a wry smile. The Doctor lowered his voice. "One, two ..."   
  
"Come on, let's go." the officer said.   
  
"Three!" The Doctor dived through the TARDIS doors closely followed by Adric and Sarah Jane.   
  
"Fire!" the Master cried. The officers raised their huns and started firing at the TARDIS.   
  
"Is anybody injured?" the Doctor asked looking around,   
  
"No Doctor we're all okay," Sarah Jane replied.   
  
"Why is the Master here Doctor?" Adric asked.   
  
"He's playing mind games with me Adric," the Doctor said.   
  
"What are we going to do now Doctor?" Sarah Jane said. "The Master has got the TARDIS surrounded."   
  
"It seems as though we're going to need the TARDIS after all," the Doctor said.   
  
"We can't leave Earth in the hands of the Pescatons." Adric exclaimed.   
  
"I'm not," the Doctor replied. "I'm just going to go far enough to get away from them. Let's get to the control room."   
  
They reached the console room and looked at the console.   
  
"Eer, Doctor," Sarah Jane said. "Who activated the TARDIS?"   
  
"I don't know," the Doctor said checking the controls.   
  
"Where are we going?" Adric asked.   
  
The Doctor looked at Adric, "I don't know." The TARDIS gave a slight shudder. "Well wherever we are, we're here." The Doctor pressed the dooor control and they walked out of the TARDIS. "Where is here though." the Doctor said looking around.   
  
"Oh no!" Sarah Jane exclaimed looking around.   
  
They had appeared in the middle of a large arena. Everywhere they looked they saw humans and Pescatons gazing down at them.   
  
"Well fancy meeting you three here," a voice spoke.   
  
"Why am I not surprised that you were involved." the Doctor said as he gazed at the Master.   
  
The Master chuckled and pointed a finger at Sarah Jane. "Take her to the box." Two Police officers approached Sarah Jane either side and took her away.   
  
"If you harm her," Adric threatened.   
  
"Oh don't be silly, no harm will come to the young lady," the Master said. "Which is more than can be said for the pair of you." The Master walked away as he continued to chuckle.   
  
"Where are we Adric?" the Doctor asked.   
  
"We're in the Central Arena, usually the final destination of the more rebellious factions."   
  
"How can humans and Pescatons co-exist on the same planet."   
  
"The Pescatons basically control them through fear. They serve, they live. They rebel, they get publically killed."   
  
A fanfare began to echo around the arena and a silence fell amongst the crowd.   
  
"Everyone stand and be silent for the Emperor." a voice echoed.   
  
The fanfare continued as the Guardians of the Empire entered the arena, and slightly behind walked ...   
  
"Zor." the Doctor said.   
  
The crowd continued to stand as Zor walked onwards towards a small enclosed area of the stand where Sarah Jane had been taken. Zor stood in the box and raised both it's arms in the air. As if it were a signal the fanfare stopped and everyone stood waiting in anticipation.   
  
"I have waited a long time for this Doctor," Zor spoke in a low voice. "The time of yout execution is at hand, unless you can best your opponents." He held out one of his arms and from the darkness two Pescatons emerged. "Let the battle commence!"   
  
An enormous cheer erupted from the crowds at that moment and the Pescatons began to advance towards Adric and the Doctor.   
  
"Wait!" the Doctor cried, "I will not be a participant in this barbaric activity!"   
  
Adric faced the Doctor wide eyed. "Doctor, if you don't do anything they wil chop your body into teeny tine pieces and there won't be enough of you to regenerate."   
  
"Doctor, you will defend yourself!" Zor hissed.   
  
"I will not take part in thie game any longer," the Doctor called.   
  
Zor raised his arm and the Pescatons in the arena stopped and looked at their Emperor. A hush fell over the crtows as Zor started to walk slowly towards the Doctor with Sarah Jane behind him.   
  
"You would give up your life so easily?" Zor asked looking at the Doctor.   
  
"You cannot force me to kill Zor," the Doctor said.   
  
"Very true Doctor," Zor repllied. He turned around and faced Sarah Jane. "Would you fight for your life?"   
  
"I've been fighting ever since you conquered our world and made slaves out of us."   
  
"So," Zor said walking towards Sarah Jane. "Why are you now so passive?"   
  
"You kill me, and another will take my place. The only thing you'd be making here is a martyr."   
  
Zor wrapped his fingers around her throat and moved his arm with one sharp movement. "So be it," Zor hissed. He released his grip and Sarah Jane fell.   
  
"Sarah Jane!" Adric cried out. He pulled out a long knife which he had concealed under his jacket and lunged at Zor.   
  
He was no match against Zor. He dodged to one side and grabbed Adric's arm as he ran past, twisting it voilently. There was a horrific sound of tearing flesh and bones shattering as Adric began to holler in pain.   
  
"The resistance is finished." Zor cried out loudly. "The Pescatons rule this planet now, and forever more." Zor picked the knife up and held it aloft for all to see. "We are forever!" Adric was kneeling on the ground still bellowing in unmeasureable pain, his arm hanging limply with blood pumping out of the open wounds. Zor lowered the knife and drove it through the back of Adric's neck.   
  
The crowd errupted in unmercyless cheering as they saw the leader of the resistance fall before their very eyes.   
  
"This is boring me," Zor simply said as he turned his attention back tothe Doctor. He slowly took a step towards the Doctor, but as he did his image began to shimmer and became distorted until it was unrecognisable. Then just as quickly he reappeared before the Doctor, but it was not Zor who stood before him.   
  
"This has gone on long enough Doctor," the Master said sternly. "You amuse me no longer."   
  
The Doctor's hearts began to sink, he knew the Master had bested him. He was doomed. The Doctor's gaze fell behind the Master and, he suddenly saw it. He didn't know what it was but standing in the entrance was a creature, nothing more than a shapeless collection of molecules. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished again but it seemed enough to bring hope to the Doctor.   
  
"This game is over," the Master sneered.   
  
"You may capture my lives," the Doctor spoke in a stern voice, "but the essence of my incarnations remain. And while it does, you will be destroyed."   
  
"Not in your lifetime," the Master gloated. He held in his hand a small box which began emainating a strange glowing light. The Master began laughing loudly as the form of the Doctor vanished from in front of him, and all around the world began to disolve and fade away.   
  
"This is just too easy Doctor." The Master chuckled as he placed the cube on the shelf with the Doctor's other incarnations. "Who is next?" he asked himself as he stroked his chin. "Ahh, yes," he said smiling, "this one is going to be good..." 


End file.
